Dan Martin still may have a tricky scenario ahead for the Tour de France. But a big box has been ticked on the road to him securing outright team leadership for that race. Fabio Aru, above, is set to ride the Giro. And that at least rules out the nightmare scenario of both he and Martin deciding to base their season around the Tour de France.
Fabio Aru set to ride Giro d'Italia after much debate
Dan Martin got some good news, of sorts, today as Fabio Aru signalled his intent to ride the Giro d’Italia.
The Italian national champion confirmed his participation at a team event this afternoon.
The Tour de France or Vuelta were not mentioned in his plans for the year.
And it now looks certain that he will ride the Giro and then make a decision on what second Grand Tour to ride in 2018.
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It means Fabio Aru may still go into the Tour de France as UAE Team Emirates joint leader with Dan Martin.
But the Irish rider has at least avoided a tricky scenario of both he and Aru focussing on the Tour as their primary objective.
Their Team UAE Emirates outfit is Italian in all but sponsor. Aru already has a Grand Tour win – at Vuelta 2015. Moreover, he has a total of three Grand Tour podiums on his palmares.
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It means had he opted to skip the Giro and focussed his season around the Tour, Dan Martin would have had a very strong rival for team leadership in that race.
But with Fabio Aru now confirming he will ride the Giro, Martin has a much better chance of being undisputed team leader at the Tour.
The Italian champion may also ride the Tour. He could also opt to skip it and target the Vuelta and World Championships later in the season.
Either way, his Grand Tour focus is now split while Martin’s is solely on the Tour.
Fabio Aru gets his 2018 campaign underway this week at the Abu Dhabi Tour. He was among a team delegation that called to see their sponsor’s senior management at Emirates Airlines today.
National champ in home tour
“I really wanted to mull over this important decision,” he said of choosing to ride the Giro. “And I’ve had many constructive conversations with the team.
"The decision to participate in the Giro d’Italia was made with conviction, after careful consideration of many variables.
“I’m happy to get back to the roads of the Giro. For an Italian athlete it is always a race that offers a special thrill.
“Furthermore, this year I will be participating with the Italian national champion’s jersey. It is one more reason to pay maximum homage to the Corsa Rosa.”
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